In This Life
by Aie-chan
Summary: In a world where ninjas only exists in stories and Naruto is adopted by the most unlikely person. NejiNaru? SasuNaru? GaaNaru? LeeSaku [AU]


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

_Chapter One_

They stare. They think that he doesn't know, but he does. He sees them staring ever so weirdly, ever so coldly, ever so _hatingly_, at him. Not that he doesn't give them a reason to, the 'you're so weird' stare, he meant. He didn't know why they have to look at him so coldly and with so much hatred to go with it. Sure, he used to prank once in a while but surely that didn't give them a reason to hate him? Well, ok, maybe not _once in a while_ butthat still doesn't explain the cold looks.

He was certain that his orange attire was the reason for the weird stares. No, make that absolutely sure. Him with his orange jacket which was unzipped.Underneath it was a black t-shirt with a sleeve that reaches the middle of his arms. To go with his orange top, was a pair of long baggy pants, the type that is standard for military training. Which, needless to say, was also orange. He wore a pair of blue military-like boots to match the whole outfit. His blonde hair fell all over his face as his usual goggles used to hold his hair up was absent and his whisker marks stood outfrom the crowd. His ocean-blue eyes shone with mischief and determination.

That wasn't enough to make them hate him, surely.

Maybe it was because he grew up on the streets until he was 9 years old, or maybe, it was because he was best friends with Haku, a neighbour of sorts to him when he was still living on the streets. It doesn't matter. He was used to it, what with the hate-filled gaze they used to, and still does, send his way when they passed him. That, or they simply ignore him like he wasn't worth their time. Technically to them, he wasn't.Like he said, it didn't matter.

Now he had a family and lots of friends. And some admirers, surprisingly. His 'father' was Orochimaru and his personal tutor was Kabuto, whom he had a feeling didn't like him very much. That was until 10 years old, when his otou-san dismissed him and sent him to a nearby private school where he met his friends and admirers.

Then, at age 12, otou-san decided to move to a small town named Konoha. Move back, he meant. See, Naruto was from Konoha and spent a good part of his short life there until Oro, as he affectionately calls Orochimaru, brought him to a strange village with an equally strange name, the Village of Sound. Not that Konoha didn't have a strange name, the Village of Leaf.

At the Village of Sound, or Sound for short, Oro adopted Naruto. As Oro didn't have a last name, he was just called Naruto, or Naru.

Why Oro brought him back here again and enrolled him into the Konoha Academy for Intermediate Learners was a total mystery, especially after the very murderous way Oro looked after finding out how he lived and was treated for the better part of his life in Leaf.

When Naruto had asked, Oro had answered with "despite everything, Leaf produces most of the Fire Country's best scholars". Why he couldn't have sent him to Earth Country where the Village of Sand which produced some of the best scholars in the world was situated in, he didn't ask.

He sighed. That was not important right now. The most important thing was finding the academy and not being late in the process of it.

_Just how complicated can a small place get?_, he screamed mentally while looking energetic and cheerful on the outside. Very, apparently, because he only found the academy fifteen minutes later, despite having lived there for 9 years. Making his way through the medium-sized school, he finally found the principal's office.

Knocking twice, he patiently waited as the door opened. A young woman looked at him for a while before her face lit up in realisation. "Ah, you must be the new student. Naruto isn't it?" she asked for confirmation.

"Hai", Naruto bowed politely. That was one thing about Orochimaru. While he didn't mind Naruto's pranking nature and loud attitude, he could not, and would not, tolerate Naruto being impolite to his superiors, as Naruto had learnt the painful way when he was first introduced to Kabuto. But that's another story for another day.

"Please follow me", she said and opened the door wide enough for him to be able to walk through. Naruto followed her through what looked like the administrative office. Stopping just in front of a door with the label 'The Principal' pasted on it, the woman knocked on the door twice.

When nobody answered to the knocks, she frowned. Knocking on the door again, she muttered under her breath. 'Either she's busy, has someone inside, or...", without waiting any longer, she opened the door to reveal a blonde head resting on the desk, which, Naruto noted, has a lot of paperwork occupying most of the table.

_**This** is the principal? _Naruto's eye twitched.

"Tsunade-sama! How many times do I have to tell you to stop sleeping on the job!" the woman who greeted him shouted. The blonde head lifted to reveal a young female face. Wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth, Tsunade yawned. "Enough times", she got out a reply. Then she noticed Naruto who was still standing at the doorway. "This is... ?" she raised her eyebrows questioningly.

The woman scowled. "If you had listened during all those meetings Tsunade-sama, then you will know that this is the new student." Tsunade's face lit up, "oh yes, Naro... Nari... Naruto... yes, Naruto isn't it?"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama", Naruto said, hiding his disbelief well.

"No last name?" Tsunade raised her eyebrows. Naruto was used to that as well. Ever since Oro adopted him, he always introduced himself without his last name, and that never fails to raise questions such as "what's your last name?" and "Naruto what?". "No, Tsunade-sama," he replied. Tsunade nodded in acceptance.

Searching her drawers and taking out a blue book, she threw it at Naruto who promptly caught it and read the cover which said 'Konoha Academy for Intermediate Learners: The Rules' in bolded black words.

"Heads up!" Naruto looked up in time to see a piece of paper thrown his way. Catching the paper, he saw in bolded red words 'Time-table'. He saw that he was supposed to be having Literature with Umino Iruka in room 101 in, he looked at the clock, about ten minutes time.

Naruto looked up and saw the woman and Tsunade discussing something. After a minute of what looked like a pretty hushed debate, they finally turned their attention back to Naruto. "Any questions? No? Good. Shizune here will show you where room 101 is. I have to go back to sl - I mean, my work so be off before you become late. Naruto was willing to bet all the money he has that Tsunade was about to say "sleep" but he shrugged it off and bowed politely to the principal.

Shizune motioned him to follow her and they made their way to room 101. Along the way, Shizune introduced him to the different rooms and teachers of the respective different subjects.

Finally arriving at room 101 a few minutes after the first bell sounded, Shizune bide him farewell and made her way back to her office. Naruto knocked a few times before opening it and going in. Seeing the adult he assumed was Iruka standing in front of the class, he nodded politely before straightening and saying, "Iruka-sensei."

"You are the new student I presume?" the brown-haired man said kindly. At Naruto's nod, Iruka turned back to the class and said, "class, this is our new student and his name is... ", he trailed off when he realised that he didn't know the name, just that he was the new boy in school.

Naruto took over, bowed to the class and said, "I am Naruto, pleased to meet all of you."

_**To be continued**_

**Poll:** NejiNaru, GaaNaru, SasuNaru

A/N: I tried not to change everything so much but I did some major changes to Orochimaru's character and some minor or major, depending on how you look at it, changes to Naruto's. This is AU after all and I wanted Orochimaru to be one of the good guys for once. Towards the end, I think that I made Naruto a bit too polite, bowing and all, but it wasn't intentional. Or was it? Never mind, what I'm saying is that Naruto was a bit more polite than I wanted him to be. I apologise for any mistakes I have made. Until next chapter, bye!

_Itching to voice your views? If yes, then review!_


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